The present invention is directed toward a new card game which, in some aspects, is similar to the game of poker and, in other aspects is similar to the game of Baccarat. The invention relates to a new deck of cards and to a new method of play utilizing the novel cards, the intent of which is to make the game more interesting and to increase revenues for casinos.
Poker is a well known card game and has many variations. The basic game of poker involves dealing five cards to each player. Each player may then discard up to three cards and be dealt new cards in order to improve his or her hand. An initial wager is placed by all of the players. Additional bets may be placed throughout the course of the game. The winner is the player holding the highest hand based upon a predetermined set of rules. Variations of these basic rules are also well known, such as, Draw poker, Stud poker, and Pai Gow poker.
Poker is often played in gaming establishments as well as in private parties. It has also been implemented as a slot machine game. However, despite the numerous variations, longtime players of the game may seek an even more exciting game that still involves poker rules.
Baccarat is another popular table game played in casinos or gaming establishments. Baccarat also uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards and is usually dealt from a shoe having multiple decks that have been shuffled together prior to the beginning of play.
The object of the game of Baccarat is for the bettor to successfully wager on whether the bank's hand or the player's hand is going to win. The bettor receives even money for his wager if he selects the winning hand and loses his wager if he selects the losing hand. In a conventional Baccarat game, each bettor first makes a wager on whether the bank's hand or the player's hand will win. After all wagers are made, two cards are dealt from the shoe to the bank position and two cards are dealt from the shoe to the player position on the table layout. The cards are turned face up and the value of the bank hand the player hand is determined, modulo ten. In determining values, aces count as one; kings, queens, jacks and tens count as zero and the other cards count as their respective face value. The suits have no meaning in Baccarat.
The highest hand value in Baccarat is nine. All hand values range from a low of zero to a high of nine. If when the cards are added together, the total of the hand exceeds nine, then the hand value is determined modulo ten. For example, a seven and an eight total fifteen, but the hand value is five. An ace and a nine total ten, but the hand value is zero. Under certain situations in the play of the game, a third card will be dealt. The value of this third card is added to the total of the first two cards and a new hand value is established. Again, if the new hand total exceeds nine, the hand value is determined by subtracting ten from the total of the hand.
While Baccarat is relatively simple to play because of the relative ease in determining the rankings of the hands, it also can become monotonous as there are essentially no decisions to be made by the player. The cards are automatically dealt to each player according to the rules and the winner is determined automatically according to the established rules. The player essentially watches.
There is, therefore, a need for a casino card game that combines the intricacies and mental challenge of poker with the ease of Baccarat. Such a game would encourage the players to play and to play longer which would obviously result in increased revenues for the casino or other gaming establishment.